You Won't Let Those Robots Eat Me
by bojangles25
Summary: It would be tragic if those evil robots win. But Samantha Traynor knows Jane Shepard won't let those Reapers defeat them. Traynor/FemShep interaction inspired by one of my favorite songs. Rated M for language, and I guess implied adult situations, though that's just to be safe.
1. You Won't Let Those Robots Eat Me

**Something like this has been in my head for a long time, without the LI ever being certain. I had to go with Traynor, only because I like her more than any other FemShep option. Go ahead and call me a pig, LOL.**

* * *

Samantha Traynor tried her hardest not to stare, and just kept on failing. It was just to hard not to, especially when the Commander was at work. There was such a magnetic effect to Jane Shepard, a supernatural pull to her personality, that made her impossible to resist. Samantha certainly thought it was impossible, anyway. Watching Shepard speak with the crew, her mouth in that hard line, her eyes wide as she listened intently to what she was being told, a few strands of hair falling across her forehead, the communications specialist was once again staring. Shepard patted the crewmember, Jessica, on the shoulder, and turned back towards the CIC. Of course Samantha didn't look away before their eyes met, and the Commander gave her a smile and wink that reduced her brain to mush. She immediately lowered her gaze to the console in front of her, desperately trying to return to work, she certainly had enough to do, and had almost succeeded when a hand squeezed her behind, so quick she wondered if she had imagined it. Her head darted right, seeing nothing, and then left, in time to see Shepard walking away without a glance back in Samantha's direction. She was still trying to decide she had imagined the squeeze when the elevator door closed, and Shepard was off to do whatever it is she did.

That was the third time that day she was caught staring at her superior officer, and new…what? Girlfriend? Lover? Was she just Shepard's toy of the month? It wasn't exactly clear what their relationship was. Four days had passed since their encounter in the shower, and the desk outside the bathroom, and the bed, and then just outside the elevator again, with Samantha never having the courage to actually talk to Shepard about what exactly they were. She would get to it eventually. Maybe. She and Shepard spent every night since together, so she assumed there was something about her the Commander found interesting. For probably the twentieth time, Samantha told herself she would make sure to clarify things with Shepard the first chance she had.

The first time she was caught staring that day was down in the cargo bay, watching Shepard and James during one of their sparring sessions. While she had never, ever found violence particularly interesting, there was something different about watching Shepard at work. She somehow managed to be as graceful as a ballerina, but as quick and deadly and powerful as a cobra or some other deadly snake. She would maneuver effortlessly, flowing like water, waiting for the inevitable mistake. When that mistake was made, and it always was eventually, she would pounce, and Vega or Kaidan or Garrus or whoever made the mistake of sparring with her would end up eating a punch or kick, or on the ground with their arm twisted in some painful way. Shepard had a black belt in some discipline of karate that Samantha could not remember, and it was easy to believe she was the best fighter in the world to watch her handle the rest of the soldiers on the Normandy so easily. It was unbelievably sexy, and of course Samantha got caught staring. When Shepard stood, releasing James's arm, she looked over in Samantha's direction and caught her. The communications specialist looked away, cheeks flushed, trying her hardest not to appear as creepy as she probably looked. When she dared glance back Shepard was talking with Vega, hair tangled and sweaty, looking past the marine and in her direction. When Shepard saw that Samantha was watching again, she smiled, in a away that did not make it clear who exactly she was smiling at. Fully embarrassed now, she hurried to the elevator.

The second time she got caught staring was only two hours later, in the mess hall. Since there was no workout room onboard the Normandy, a ridiculous exclusion the more Samantha thought about it, which was often considering how difficult it was for her to stay in the shape she preferred, it was not a strange sight to find Shepard exercising anywhere on the ship. That day, she chose to do sit-ups on the ground near the medbay door, and like a stupid teenage girl Samantha couldn't help but stop in her tracks. Up and down she went, a fluid, flawless machine. Like she knew Samantha would be coming, she was of course wearing a "shirt" that left her abs exposed, making it much easier to get lost watching those muscles tense with every movement. Just like with the fighting, she made something Samantha never thought was sexy before nearly irresistible. There was no one who disciplined her body the way Jane Shepard did. Not an ounce of fat sat on her body, and every muscle was toned to perfection. She never ate anything unhealthy, and Samantha had never seen her drink alcohol. Every aspect of her body was perfected towards the goal of completing her mission, as it needed to be. If she was in any less physical condition, it was likely she would have already crumbled beneath the injuries she sustained over the last few months.

This time, when Shepard caught Samantha staring, she just kept going, saying nothing, the only hint she gave that she knew Samantha was watching being the way they met each others' eyes when Shepard brought her chin to her knees. Just like earlier, the communications specialist immediately blushed, hurrying towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water, the entire reason she came down here to begin with. She had just grabbed a bottle and twisted open the cap when a hand enclosed hers, lingering briefly before taking the water from her hands. Samantha's hand tingled from the contact, and her blush returned. She turned around to find Shepard taking deep swallows of the water, not stopping until the bottle was just below half-empty. After she handed it back, she said, "Thanks, Traynor."

Samantha managed to pretend to be annoyed. "Why not get your own bottle? You have to bully your crew out of theirs to make yourself feel better?"

"Mmhmm," she responded. She turned and walked away, not even giving Samantha a second look. And of course Samantha's eyes immediately fell to her ass.

* * *

Samantha took the first opportunity she could to head up to Shepard's cabin, drumming a beat on her thighs as she waited for the elevator to arrive. The Commander had returned from a mission on Noveria two hours ago, where she had been tasked with taking control of a fighter base and eliminating any Cerberus presence. The mission was a smashing success, of course it was, Shepard never managed anything less, but Samantha had not seen her yet. She was safe, if she was injured in any way that would have spread around the ship five times already. The elevator doors opened, and after taking a deep breath Samantha stepped forward. She punched the button to open the cabin door, and walked inside. Shepard was sitting at her desk, a pair of headphones in her ears, head bobbing in rhythm with whatever she was listening to. Sensing the opportunity to sneak up on Shepard for once, Samantha lightly stepped forward, being as quiet as she could manage. The commander continued to bob her head to the music, not showing any awareness at all that someone else was in the cabin with her. Step by quiet step, Samantha crept forward, until she was mere inches behind the still oblivious woman. A few tense moments passed, and then Samantha darted her hands forward, tickling Shepard's ribs. Her efforts only led to Samantha being manhandled and tossed around with unimaginable quickness and effortless. "Oh,, oh sorry," Shepard said after Samantha ended up on her stomach on the bed, the Commander on top of her, pinning her down. She immediately stood up and released the communications specialist, which was slightly disappointing. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No," Samantha answered, once she calmed her baser urges. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Shepard said. She walked back over to her desk and grabbed a bottle of pills off of it. Popping two of them out, she swallowed them without needing anything to wash them down. It was disgusting. "What?" Shepard asked, smirking at Samantha.

"I will never understand how you do that. Its gross."

"You're just a wimp," Shepard taunted.

It was kind of true, but Kaidan and Vega weren't wimps, and they needed water to help swallow the pills Doctor Chakwas gave them. Shepard was the only one who didn't. And Samantha had seen Shepard swallow a lot of pills. Pain pills, vitamins, sleep aids, energy boosts, sometimes it seemed like the Commander ingested as many pills as she did food. Samantha had asked her if that was healthy one time, whether she was taking too many of the pills, and Shepard had assured her that Doctor Chakwas knew everything she took and approved. "I need them, Sam," Shepard said, seemingly reading her mind as always. "I told you before, Chakwas knows everything I take. I don't have the luxury of proper rest and recovery time, so I need these to stay strong enough to fight the Reapers."

"I know, Shepard. You made that clear before." Scooting on the bed so that she could place her feet on the ground, Samantha smiled nervously. Why was she always so damn nervous around this woman? "I wish you could just lay in bed and sleep and heal naturally, but I know better."

A lewd, toothy grin appeared on Shepard's face. "If you want to get me into bed, the war isn't stopping you."

Samantha managed to look angry, though she didn't actually feel angry. "If I didn't know that by now, I don't think I'd be smart enough to do my job." Shepard's grin did not leave her face as she closed the distance between them, swaying her hips. Samantha felt her mouth begin to open, and promptly snapped it shut. "I just know its not fair the way you have to push yourself to the absolute limits of human capabilities. Its not fair."

"The Reapers aren't programmed to be fair, babe," Shepard said, sitting down on the bed and propping herself up on her elbows. "They're evil robots, programmed to do nothing but destroy. This is what I have to do to keep going." Samantha nodded, knowing it was the truth. She began to speak, but was interrupted by Shepard's mouth closing over hers. Just like that, all rational thought was gone, and she was a hormonal teenager again. "Why exactly are we talking?" Shepard asked when they finally separated, both gasping for breath. "Isn't there something better we could be doing with our time?" Samantha nodded, her urges too overwhelming to do or say anything else, and Shepard closed in on her again.

* * *

Samantha had never tried so hard to stay away from Jane. An hour had passed since she and the others returned from Thessia, and an oppressively somber mood had overtaken the entire ship, all stemming from their commander. Samantha only knew the basics. Cerberus had been waiting on Thessia, and Kai Leng had managed to steal the Prothean VI that would lead them to the Catalyst. He would be back at Cerberus HQ with the data, and their chances of beating the Reapers had never looked any worse. The only thing keeping any of them going was the data Samantha shared after the mission, of how she and EDI tracked Leng to Horizon. Otherwise, all might truly be lost to despair. Jane had jumped on the possibility immediately, ordering Joker to set course for Horizon immediately. That was nearly an hour ago. Since then, she had stayed in her cabin, not leaving once.

Chakwas was the one who finally convinced Samantha to go check on Jane, twenty minutes later. "She needs someone there to vent her frustration towards," Chakwas said, in the motherly tone she usually used when not in her office. "Let her yell, let her complain, let her get all the anger and disappointment she feels out, even if she misdirects towards you." Samantha hated the idea of having to bear the brunt of Jane Shepard screaming at her, but she went up to the cabin anyway. No one else would, and maybe Jane would open up to her. This was bigger than anything else they'd ever talked about, which made Samantha nervous, but it would also help Samantha find out if Jane was serious about her or not. She did not doubt the Commander's passion, but despite a genuine caring the two felt for each other, their relationship relied almost solely on that passion and want for each other. Now was as good a time as ever to find out how serious this was, she thought as the elevator drew closer.

Inside the cabin, Jane was on her computer, reading something intently. Samantha drew closer, reading the screen. It was info on Sanctuary, the refuge established on Horizon for those fleeing the Reapers. Despite her urge to chicken out, crack a joke, and give up on talking to the woman in front of her, Samantha cleared her throat, letting Jane know she was there. "Commander? Are you busy?"

"Kind of. Not really. Ugh, I really want to be, but I can't concentrate on a fucking thing." Jane pushed herself away from her desk, a sigh of frustration escaping her lips. "This is all so fucked up. I cannot believe this happened." Her fists balled, the muscles in her forearms tensing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Samantha asked. Sweat began to form on her brow.

"No," Jane answered, in the most direct tone she'd ever used with Samantha.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I just thought…"

"I don't. Want. To talk about it." Jane glared at the communications specialist, making her cower. "If you were sent up here to get me to talk, then you are wasting your time. I'll be fine, that's all you should care about."

Something about the way she said that triggered a defiance within Samantha, and she stepped forward resolutely. "I came up here to talk to you because I care about you. Not Commander Shepard, but Jane, the woman, the person I've grown to care about. If you think you're going to scare me off, then you are wrong."

Jane glared even harder, and stepped forward threateningly. Samantha did not back down. "So, what? You expect me to cry like a little girl and feel better afterwards?"

"No. I expect you to yell and punch the walls and get all of your anger out. I will stand here and take it all." And take it she did. Jane got months of frustration off her chest. She yelled about the Reapers, she yelled about the Alliance, she yelled about Cerberus and Kai Leng and the Council and the stupid little things people did that annoyed her. She punched the walls, she punched her pillows, she kicked her desk. Samantha listened to it all, and waited. She waited and waited for Jane to stop. When she finally did, and sat at the foot of her bed, Samantha joined her. "Feel better?" she asked.

Jane laughed, and threw herself back to lay on the bed. "Yes!" she said, laughing harder. "That felt SO good. I don't think I've ever just cut loose like that in my entire life." She sat up and kissed Samantha on the cheek. "Thank you."

Samantha's cheek immediately began to warm and tingle where Jane kissed her. "Um, I, you know, you're welcome."

"Oh, now you're nervous again?"

Samantha giggled. "Of course. You kissed me." The two women shared a smile. "Since you just got so much off your chest, I want to do the same. I want you to know that I have complete faith in you. I know you won't let us lose. I know you won't let those stupid giant robots beat us."

"Call me Yoshimi Shepard," Jane said.

"What?"

"Nothing. Believe me, Sam, no one understands what is at stake here better than I do. I don't care how many people believe in me or don't believe in me. I will win. It would be tragic if I didn't."

Samantha had never heard more comforting words in her life. "It most certainly would." Jane laughed, and Samantha looked over at her questioningly. "What?"

"Nothing. I guess you don't get it. Never mind."

Samantha shrugged, and leaned her head on Jane's shoulder. She was glad when Jane simply accepted it, putting an arm around her shoulders and leaning her head on top of Samantha's. The two said nothing, watching the fish in the tank on the wall, for a moment forgetting it all.

* * *

**I'm willing to expand on this, if anyone likes it. Read and review, I'm open to whatever criticism you have.**


	2. They Don't Love You Like I Love You

**I know there's been a lot of fan fiction about Shepard in the hospital, but here's another. Hope you like it!**

* * *

The stiffness in Samantha's neck and shoulders was normal now, and she wore it with pride as she woke from another rough night of sleep. The room was dark, the sun not yet shining through the windows on the wall to her left. She could see the transition from black to grey that preceded the rising sun, the same vehicles she saw every morning passing by. Down on the street, a construction crew was hard at work cleaning up and repairing a building nearby. As Samantha took in all these sights, the first fingers of sunlight reached out over the London streets. Only then did she manage to blink away sleep and stand from the couch that had been provided for her use. The steady, rhythmic beeping of the nearby heart rate monitor continued on, a once fearful sound that had become comforting. As long as that machine was still beeping, Jane Shepard was still alive.

Jane looked much the same as she had over the past two months, laying in the hospital bed nearby. Samantha grabbed her chair, and took her place at her girlfriend's side. Jane's hand, much like the rest of her, had lost much of its muscle, its strength, the life and warmth that had permeated from its touch. Still, Samantha felt the fight within, coursing through her veins. The time of the worst danger had passed, and now it was simply a matter of time. The worst case scenario was that Jane would stay asleep too long, and too much muscle would waste away, but she would wake up, it was just a matter of when.

Samantha was still holding Jane's hand when Dr. Ivanov walked in, offering the same genuinely sympathetic smile he did every morning. "Good morning, Ms. Traynor. How are you?"

The question was asked every morning, and was meant not only about her Samantha's night of sleep. "I'm okay enough," she answered. It was her typical response. She would not truly be okay until Jane was awake and smiling again, but for now it was enough to know she would be okay.

Dr. Ivanov performed his routine morning check up, making notes on a data pad as he went. "Her vitals are better. Her neural activity is improving. Its happening in very small increments, but she's getting better by the day. There's no way to be sure when she'll wake up, but it should hopefully be soon." The doctor again smiled at Samantha. "I'll send a nurse in with breakfast for you both. Have faith, Ms. Traynor. She will be okay."

The words made her feel better, but words could not compare to action. Samantha still smiled and thanked Dr. Ivanov.

* * *

"I really should go back," Traynor said, shielding her eyes from the late morning sun. She hadn't realized how much time had passed since she was outside until today, when Garrus, Kaidan, and Tali forced her to leave Shepard's hospital room and join the rest of the Normandy crew on a tour of London. All of them needed the exercise, Garrus said. Traynor could see it in his eyes though. This was solely to cheer everyone up and get out of that damned hospital, her included.

"She's fine, Sam," Steve said, a slight limp to his step as he walked alongside Samantha.

"What if she wakes up when I'm gone? I have to be there for that."

"Or what? She'll pull all those tubes out of her herself, leave the bed, pack up and make off without telling?" Steve teased. "She'll probably forget all about you too, and shack up with the first person to flirt with her."

Samantha hit him right on the bandage around his left bicep, and immediately felt horrible when he groaned in pain. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Damn it, that's why you shouldn't tease me like that!"

Steve edged further away from her. "Duly noted," he said, rubbing the sport where Samantha hit him.

The reconstruction efforts in London were going very well, she noted as they walked the streets. Efforts were concentrated near the hospital days after the Crucible fired, and spread further towards the outskirts of the city with every passing week. Walking past those buildings that had once been rubble now, Samantha was so happy to see almost every one of them fully repaired, and looking as if nothing had ever happened. She was even happier when she saw those buildings still being reconstructed, because of the crews working them. While it wouldn't last, of course, every species in the galaxy was still upholding the spirit of full cooperation from the war. That applied to Earth's need for workers as well, evident by the diverse construction crews Samantha was seeing. Humans and turians looking over architect plans, krogans carrying away heavy debris and bringing back lumber, quarians reconnecting power lines and of course handling all the wiring, asari using their biotics to keep things in place, every species was represented and doing their part. It was an inspiring sight. She hoped this peace would last for a very long time, and always be remembered by future generations.

Samantha had to resist the urge to run back to the hospital after about an hour passed, instead settling on politely excusing herself from her present company and walking very fast. They protested, but she didn't want to hear any of it. She couldn't concentrate. Her every thought was on Jane. She just had to be there, at all times she possibly could, and she didn't care if that attitude was unhealthy for her. Briefly, she wondered if she was becoming overly attached, to the point of obsession. After all, she and Jane had only known each other for about half a year before the Battle for Earth. They had only been…involved, for three of those months. Maybe Jane would find it kind of creepy. No, no, they loved each other. Samantha was only being loyal, doing what anyone else would do for the person they loved and wanted to spend their life with. That last thought only made her feel kind of obsessed again, and she shut her brain up for the rest of the walk.

The moment Samantha saw the mob of reporters at the front of the hospital, some doing nothing, some talking in front of cameras, and all clearly interested in the hospital itself, Samantha began to worry. She couldn't help but run then, pushing past the reporters and ignoring every insult that came her way while doing so. Once she was inside, the excited chattering reached her ears. Nurses, doctors, secretaries, the families of patients, all mingling amongst each other, whispering loudly. "It just happened…" someone said.

"She's talking with some Alliance admiral right now…" said another.

"I heard she's already trying to convince the doctors to send her home…" a woman claimed.

Samantha again ran, this time for the elevators. Behind her, a couple of reporters managed to get past the security inside the main entrance, shouting their questions. Samantha stepped inside one of the elevators, all by herself. She immediately began beating herself up mentally. This was exactly what she had worried would happen, was exactly why she didn't want to leave. She wanted to be there when those eyes opened, those beautiful blue eyes that always carried such strength, conveyed such passion. No doctor deserved to be the first one those eyes saw after being closed for so long. No doctor loved Jane the way she loved Jane.

Samantha hurried off the elevator, and even if she hadn't known which room to go to, she would have only needed to follow the commotion in the halls to find where she wanted to go. The patients, doctors, and nurses all stared in one direction, at one door to one room. A weak challenge was made when Samantha reached that door, and she ignored it as she opened the door, just remembering to close it again. Admiral Hackett turned her way, a look of confusion and irritation on his face. Samantha didn't care. Her own gaze was focused solely on the woman sitting up in the hospital bed. Those passionate blue eyes were focused her way, and Samantha met them warily. She had expected to see confusion, irritation, maybe slight anger. Instead, she saw relief. She saw joy. And most of all, she saw love. Samantha's heart swelled, and she fought back tears.

* * *

The orange glow of dusk was fading to grey and eventually to darkness when the steady stream of visitors were forced to leave, to allow Jane to eat dinner in peace. Samantha was allowed to stay, as always, and was given dinner as well. She picked at the soupy mashed potatoes, not the least bit interested in actually eating it. Only one bite of the chicken was needed to curb her appetite. Not that the food was horrible, she would have to make sure she made that clear when the nurse came to collect their trays, but Samantha could not possibly eat right now. Her stomach felt like a million butterflies were fluttering around, occasionally stopping to bit the lining of her stomach. Do butterflies bite, she wondered? Well, if they did, the feeling in her stomach was probably what it felt like.

Jane noticed that Samantha had a thousand thoughts tumbling through her head, which Samantha should have expected. "What's on your mind, babe?"

For once, Samantha had no desire to even try and deceive Jane. "I feel guilty. I feel really, really bad that I wasn't here when you woke up. I should have known you would, I told everyone it would happen. Garrus and Steve called me crazy, Tali told me I needed to get out, they all badgered me until I agreed." Samantha knelt next to the hospital bed and Jane's left hand with both of hers, stupid shame all she felt. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have been right here, waiting. I've been here every day, every minute I was allowed. I swear, I wanted to be here, I wanted to be the first one you saw. I hope that doesn't sound that creepy, but its true."

"It's okay, Sam," Jane said, smiling. "The first person I saw would have been the doctor, even if you were here."

"Well, that's true. But still, I feel guilty." Samantha saw the stupid smile on Jane's face, and it made her feel better. "I'm so stupid. Like I should care about something so unimportant when you finally are awake. I'm sure ninety percent of your body is one giant broken pain."

"Ninety-two percent, actually," Jane joked. "Maybe ninety-three, the little toe on my right foot can't decide if its adding to the agonizing pain or merely dull from it."

Samantha giggled and moved her chair to the foot of the hospital bed before sitting down. "Oh, this toe?" she asked as innocently as she could manage, brushing the pad lightly with a fingertip. The muffled giggle from Jane was more reward than anything else could have been at that moment. "How about these?" Samantha asked again, brushing her fingers over the bottom of them all, and getting a louder giggle from her girlfriend. "How about your foot?" Samantha tickled the underside, and Jane kicked a little while laughing, immediately wincing in pain. That was all it took to make Samantha feel terrible. She immediately stopped and stood from the chair, hurrying over to the head of the hospital bed. "I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, I'm an idiot I didn't even think…"

Jane grabbed her sides, knowing exactly where to brush to break Samantha down into hysterics, laughing loudly and nearly collapsing. It was totally unfair, Samantha couldn't fight back, and that bitch knew it. Eventually, she managed to pull away from Jane's tickling fingers. Samantha took a few moments to catch her breath and brush away a few hairs that had fallen over her eyes. "You utter bitch!" she yelled, faking anger. "That was totally unfair!"

Jane was still laughing. "Yeah, and?"

"Oh, you are DEFINITELY going to pay for that." Samantha crossed her arms. "Just wait, I'm going to get you so bad, and you won't have any idea its coming."

"Except you just told me," Jane said, smirking.

"I, well, you, um…" Samantha continued on like that for a few seconds, never actually saying anything. Jane's smirk only grew more confident. "Sometimes I just hate you."

Jane's laugh was so carefree, so happy. Samantha had never seen or heard her like this, without the burden of the entire galaxy on her shoulders. "I love you so much. Seriously, I mean it."

Now the communications specialist, which could not have been a more misleading type of specialist for Samantha to be, was rendered speechless. Jane had never told her that before. Samantha felt her cheeks flush, knew she had a stupid grin on her face. "That was…kind of unexpected."

Jane sat up a little further, moving slowly because of the pain. "You okay with that?"

"Yes! I mean, yes, I am." Way to appear overeager, Sam, she thought. Not like there was any reason to hold back anything. Why was she trying to? "Jane, I love you, too, so, so much. No one in this entire galaxy loves you more. The Alliance, your friends, the people you've saved, the fanatics that will send you worship mail from now on, none of them love you like I love you." Samantha couldn't resist holding Jane as tightly as she could, and Jane held her right back, planting soft kisses on her neck and shoulder. "You better recover soon, so I can do all the dirty things I'm thinking right now to you."

"Mmhmm," Jane said, hands lightly trailing up Samantha's sides, which only made her urges grow stronger. As much as she could, she pushed them away, trying very hard to focus only on holding Jane. It didn't work at all.

* * *

**I will probably keep writing chapters for this, but I have other projects, and I can't give a definite schedule. If it's been too long, just send me a message yelling at me, it will wake me up. :)**


	3. She's a Rebel

First impression: It was VERY hard not to feel better about the galaxy's chances of beating the Reapers after talking to Commander Shepard.

Samantha Traynor rode the elevator down from the Commander's cabin, still mesmerized and completely inspired by the easy confidence Shepard projected. It was almost a tangible thing that someone could grab hold of. None of the stories, none of the glowing descriptions given to Shepard compared to actually being in her presence and feeling the magnetism, the charisma, the dominating authority and inspiration that she instilled in those around her. Which was surprising considering that, in stark contrast to what Samantha had expected, Commander Shepard seemed to be nothing more than a normal human being, a regular woman lifted to great heights for no reason other than she had to be. She made Samantha feel like they were all capable of the feats she had performed.

That same confidence was brimming from Samantha as the elevator stopped at the CIC, and the doors opened. She marched out, determined to do whatever it took, whatever she could, to help Shepard win this war. Everyone else in the CIC seemed to have that same energy, going about their business with a completely unnecessary energy. Samantha crossed to her terminal next to the galaxy map in three long strides, and began poring over the various communications she could pick up.

Mere hours later, any confidence she had felt earlier was beaten out of her, replaced by an overpowering sense of doom and hopelessness. The Reapers were overwhelming. Distress call after distress call begged for help, prayed for deliverance from the death and destruction they faced. Earth was gone, nearly all communication lost. The Reapers were now doing the same to Palaven. Good news was no where to be found. Samantha's head ached, her eyes were dry and irritated. When her shift came to an end, she found herself wanting nothing more than to crawl into her bunk and sleep, hoping for a happy dream to forget the state of the galaxy, even if only temporary.

Sleep did not come, her body refusing to cooperate with her desire. After two hours laying under the covers, Samantha gave up, and headed back down to the CIC. When the elevator doors opened, she was surprised to find Commander Shepard at her terminal. The Commander was dressed casually, in a pair of blue pants and an Alliance issue t-shirt. She was not wearing shoes, and she had an adorable case of bed hair. Samantha shook her head to clear it. Thinking of her superior officer as adorable was not a good idea, no matter how true it might be.

Shepard turned around as Samantha walked to her station, smiling politely and nodding. "I would ask why you aren't sleeping, but since I'm supposed to be sleeping too we'll just keep each other's secret," she joked.

Samantha was too tired and too depressed to have the wits required for a proper joke in return. "Yes ma'am," she settled on, having to say something and figuring that was polite and respectful enough.

Apparently politeness wasn't what Shepard was looking for. "I know that look," she said. "Rough day?" Samantha only nodded. "I guess I would be freaked out, too, if I didn't know what I knew beforehand. Even knowing, this is an extremely fucked up situation. Guess we'll just have to win this war before things get too far out of control."

"Yes, ma'am," Samantha repeated. Shepard continued to watch her for a few moments, before walking away. Samantha went back to work, when a hand placed itself on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. Just like that, as if it never happened, the hand was gone, and Shepard walked away. "Commander?" Samantha called out, turning around. Shepard stopped and faced her. "How do you stay so confident? How do manage to stay convinced that we will win? I spent all day today intercepting distress signals, all of them bad. Earth, Palaven, Tuchanka, everyone everywhere is losing this fight. The Reapers aren't just infinitely more powerful, they greatly outnumber us. I hear nothing but doom and gloom. How am I supposed to stay positive in the face of such negativity?"

A long pause followed Samantha's confession, which only made her feel worse. "By keeping faith," Shepard finally said to break the silence. "Faith in the Alliance, faith in humanity's allies. Faith in yourself and the rest of the crew. Faith in me. At the very least, I promise you can keep faith in me."

Just like before, Samantha could practically feel the charisma and confidence Shepard inspired. "Easier said than done. You can convince me now, but as soon as you walk away that feeling will dissipate, like before. I'm a practical person, Commander, my job revolves around facts, around being able to boil everything down to mathematical models. Blind faith doesn't exist in my life."

"So you require a real reason to have faith, good, solid, factual reasoning why we'll win?" Samantha nodded. "Okay, give me a second." Samantha watched, intrigued, as the Commander tapped the fingers on one hand against her leg. "So, we have the Crucible, but you probably wonder how we will survive long enough to see it completed. Think of it this way. The Reapers do not consider us a real threat, don't consider this a war. To them, we're a nuisance, a minor uprising to be quickly dealt with before they begin harvesting us. So that makes us rebels."

It was an interesting way to look at things, though it didn't make Samantha feel any better. She continued listening intently. "All throughout history, for every species that has ever existed, dominant empires have fallen to determined rebellions, and for a good reason. The empire doesn't fight for themselves, they don't believe in their cause, nor do they have the motivation to do whatever it takes to further that cause. The Reapers are no different, in fact they suffer from that weakness even more, because they are nothing more than machines, programmed for a cause. The greatest edge we hold over them is our, for lack of a better word, humanity. Every species in the galaxy will fight to the last, will do whatever has to be done to win, because winning means so much more to us than it does to a soulless machine. We are a rebellion in this case, all life is a rebellion, one that will earn our place alongside all the other great rebellions in history."

"Rebellion only works because they make the fight too costly for empire," Samantha argued. "The citizens of the empire grow disillusioned, the fight no longer worth the prize. That logic doesn't apply with the Reapers. They do not have armies to inspire, no citizens to grow war weary, no funds to worry about depleting. How exactly do we accomplish the goal of our 'rebellion' in the face of such an enemy?"

"Because unlike most rebellions, we have a way to end the war, an ultimate weapon that gives us the advantage. We also have so much more to fight for, a will to drive us forward that the Reapers do not." Shepard turned to stare at Samantha, a steel-eyed determination in her eyes. "I'll be honest with you, I can't break it down into a completely logical scenario for you, because war doesn't operate that way. It cannot be broken down into any kind of predictable equation to be solved. So I have to ask that you have faith in me. I promise, that faith will be rewarded."

Samantha took a deep breath, letting everything the Commander just said run through her head again. "Okay. We're a rebellion. I have to have faith in the cause that our rebellion is fighting for."

"You'll find it easier to believe once we get to work. Everyone always does." Shepard grinned at her, and Samantha felt a little blood creep to her cheeks.

"I guess that makes you the rebel leader?" Samantha joked. "The queen rebel?"

Shepard shrugged, still grinning. "I'm not much for monarchies. Too much power, attention, and frilliness. If you want to call me the prime minister of the rebellion, I'll take that."

"Understood, Commander." Samantha felt her body relax as the tension she felt disappeared. "Thank you. I do feel better."

Shepard nodded. "If no one else believes in me, I want to make sure my crew does. So if you, or anyone you talk to on this ship, stops believing in me and our cause, I want them to see me immediately so I can change that right away."

Again, Shepard squeezed her shoulder, before walking back over to her terminal. Samantha felt sleep creeping in again, and walked to the elevator. She's a rebel, Samantha thought as the elevator descended to the crew deck. She's a rebel, leading us to victory over an evil empire. It worked. Something about it appealed to her.

* * *

"That is absolutely incredible, Commander Shepard," Samantha said, in awe at the story she just heard. As was usually the case when Shepard returned from a mission, she found herself forced to tell the story of what happened, with whatever embellishment and exaggeration she wanted to add encouraged. Shepard usually didn't embellish much, the stories were incredible enough on their own. This time, she was telling them about her mission to evacuate civilians on Benning, who had been under attack by Cerberus.

"Shepard, you're a saint, almost like some goddess or angel from Asari legend," Liara added. She, Samantha, and Sarah made up the audience for Shepard's tale of her exploits.

"There are a LOT of people who would not only disagree, but insist the opposite was true," Shepard joked, though it wasn't actually a joke.

"Then they are wrong," Liara said. Samantha and Sarah laughed, and Liara and Shepard both grinned. "Thanks for the story, Shepard. I should get back to work." Samantha wondered exactly what kind of work the asari did. No one but Shepard, and of course Liara herself, ever entered Liara's quarters.

Shepard stood from the mess table. "Of course. Dismissed." Sarah saluted, and walked back off to her post outside the War Room. Surprisingly, the private had not complained about her post that day, like she usually did. It was not exactly a secret that she and Bethany wished for a larger role in the quest to save the galaxy than defending a checkpoint on the Normandy. Samantha made sure to go talk to them often, wanting to make sure they didn't get completely bored.

The communications specialist walked off with the others, but stopped when Shepard asked her to wait. The Commander picked up her tray, only half eaten, and brought it to the trash. "I haven't talked to you in a while. You feeling any better about our chances now that you've been onboard a few weeks?"

"Yes, Commander," Samantha responded, eyes wandering over Shepard's body. She was still disheveled from battle, wearing the blue Alliance fatigues she wore under her armor, but she looked absolutely irresistible. This stupid little crush had completely taken control of Samantha's rational thought, to the point that she was beginning to think it wasn't just a stupid crush. Shepard had a tight hold of her heart, one that showed no signs of loosening. "You were right. Seeing what you've done so far, the progress you've made in uniting everyone against the Reapers, I have complete faith in you now. You'll find a way to get this done."

"Especially when I have such skilled help as yours, Sam," Shepard said. Samantha's ears must have played a trick on her, because she could swear the Commander's voice sounded almost shy, unsure. "Keep giving me leads like Grissom and we can't lose."

Samantha's cheeks flushed. "I just tried to do what I can. It's the least I can do."

"If everyone does what they can, we'll beat these stupid robots in no time," Shepard said. "So keep it up."

"Yes, ma'am."

Later that day, or night, whatever someone wanted to call it when you were in space and there was no sun to come up in the morning and set at night, a stomach ache drove Samantha to seek help from Dr. Chakwas. It was nothing worrisome, in her month aboard the Normandy she found the food did not agree with her at all. She was outside the door when she heard a deep voice, unmistakably Krogan, within. "I truly do owe her my life, and you and all Krogan will owe her much more when this is over."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time," another Krogan said. "Heh, I can't believe she managed to resist setting that bomb off. Shepard usually isn't one to pass on an opportunity for destruction. Sometimes I think she's crazier and more dangerous than I am."

Samantha pressed her ear to the door, listening closely. "Not a chance," the first Krogan, the voice sounding female compared to the other. "Shepard is capable of great destruction, sure, but she is a kind soul, and a great leader."

"Like I'm not?" the male Krogan, Wrex she remembered, said. The female scoffed. "I'm telling you, unleashing Shepard on a battlefield is like using fire to clear a forest. It will do its job, but much more violently than you intended."

"If that was true, I would not be here right now."

Wrex chuckled. "You'll see when we go to deliver the cure."

Samantha left, the ache in her stomach having passed as her mind began to preoccupy itself with the conversation she overheard. She had never anyone talk about Shepard that way, like the Commander was some destructive force of nature that caused all the world around her to crumble at her feet. Everything she ever heard made Shepard sound like a gentle soul, someone who did everything possible to protect the innocent. That wasn't how Wrex described her at all. All the stories Shepard told Samantha and the crew suddenly came into question, and the communications specialist began wondering just how much of it was true, and how much was cleaned up to make Shepard sound like a better person than she was.

Lost in thought, Samantha did not see Liara walking from the elevator, and collided right into her. The asari stayed on her feet, but Samantha was sent to the ground, landing right on her butt. Completely embarrassed, she couldn't bear to look up. "Are you alright?" Liara asked, and Samantha looked up to see her holding out her hand, a help offering.

"I'm okay. Sorry, I'm just a little distracted." Samantha took Liara's hand, surprised at how easily the woman lifted her up. Then she remembered that Liara was a soldier too, and a woman Shepard respected as much as anyone in the galaxy. Samantha found herself staring into those shining blue eyes for a moment too long, wondering why the two most dangerous women on the Normandy, and maybe in the entire galaxy, were both so attractive. "I was looking for Dr. Chakwas and… Never mind."

Liara smiled politely "Alright. Well, keep your eyes open."

It took Samantha a few moments after Liara began walking to her quarters near the mess hall before she mustered the courage to speak. "Liara?" The asari turned around. "Can I talk to you for a second? About Commander Shepard?"

Liara appeared confused, but did not question the request. "Sure, follow me."

The two went to the observation deck, taking a seat on one of the couches. Liara poured a glass of wine for the two of them. "What exactly is on your mind?"

For some reason, Samantha found herself wanting to change her mind. She closed her eyes swallowed, noticing the continued look of confusion from Liara. "You've fought with the Commander for a long time, right?"

"Yes I have," Liara said. "We've been through much together. I can say without any doubt that she is the greatest person I've ever known."

Samantha smiled faintly. "That's actually what I wanted to ask you about. I was looking for Dr. Chakwas, and overheard Wrex and the female Krogan talking. I heard him talking about Shepard, and the way he described her was so different than anything I've ever heard. I know Wrex fought alongside her too, which is why it confused me so much."

"What exactly was he saying?" Liara asked, looking as if she already knew.

"Pretty much that the Commander is crazy and extremely dangerous. That she destroys stuff at a rate impressive enough to impress a Krogan. That she isn't quite as gentle and caring a person as I thought she was."

Liara grinned, laughing softly. "I can assure you that she is. There's no doubting that Shepard is capable of destruction on a grand scale, but I guarantee you that no one sacrifices more to protect the innocent." Samantha sighed with relief, and regretted doing so as comprehension appeared in the asari's eyes. "Ah. I see." Samantha blushed fiercely.

* * *

The cheers were loud, drowning out all other sound in the cargo bay. Everyone who wasn't absolutely required to be at their station was there, waiting to receive their captain after another incredible addition to her legend. The loudest of the celebrating came from Wrex, who walked alongside Shepard, a massive arm thrown around her shoulders. She removed his arm, and held up her hands to silence everyone. "We did a great thing today!" she shouted, and the entire room went completely silent. "Let this achievement teach you all a lesson! Curing the genophage and uniting the Krogans and Turians was considered impossible, yet we have done just that!"

Samantha joined everyone else, cheering at the top of her lungs. She was still in something of a blissful state, unbelieving of what had happened down on Tuchanka. Curing the genophage was one thing. Creating a peace between the Krogans and Turians was quite impressive as well. But Shepard had fought a Reaper. On foot. The story had passed around the ship at least three times already. She had run up to the thing, under it, in danger of being crushed at any moment. Shepard summoned a giant thresher maw, the queen or king or something of thresher maws, which then proceeded to crush the Reaper and drag it under ground. It was impossible, but there was video proof, which Samantha had seen herself. Commander Jane Shepard summoned a thresher maw, that destroyed a Reaper. Samantha no longer doubted that her Commander could do anything.

"They tell us that defeating the Reapers is impossible as well," Shepard continued, no long shouting. "They tell us we are outnumbered, outgunned. We would have to unite every species in the galaxy to even stand a chance, and that's impossible. I say that's bullshit!" A cheer went up in the cargo bay. "If humans and turians can fight together, if turians and krogans can fight together, then everyone can fight together! Krogans and salarians, quarians and geth, humans and batarians, we can all find a way to fight this enemy together! And when we unite, and the ships of every species form the greatest armada the galaxy has ever seen, there won't be a damn thing the Reapers can do but die!"

The loudest cheer yet was let loose, everyone shouting at the top of their lungs. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, a feeling unlike anything Samantha ever experienced. She cheered along with everyone else as Shepard made the rounds of the room, talking to everyone as she passed. When the Commander reached Samantha, like with everyone else, she leaned in to whisper in her ear, otherwise she could not be heard over the cheers in the cargo bay. "Our rebellion grows," Shepard said.

Samantha nodded her head, grinning and giggling like an idiot. There was nothing to doubt about that woman. She was a leader. She was a warrior. She was a rebel, bringing them their liberation from the Reapers. And Samantha was hopelessly in love with her.

* * *

**I don't know what others think, but I have to admit, I found the idea of an extremely charismatic and accessible Shepard pretty cool while writing this. It may not fit with the Shepard from the games very well, but I really like it. As always, please point out any glaring typos or mistakes I made, because I don't always catch them all. I made one while writing it that was pretty stupid, and while I think I corrected it all, I'm not sure. **


	4. Once Again, She's Leaving

**This has the most following of any of my unfinished stories, so I'll be releasing chapters more often. Reviews are always welcome, as is pointing out any mistakes I made with grammar or lore.**

* * *

Samantha was struggling to fight against every instinct she had ever known. The distant rumbling, the smell of thick smoke, the sight of the fallen rubble and despondent soldiers, it all screamed at her to run, get as far away as possible.

Even Jane was not her normal self. She was walking around, talking to everyone, doing her best to keep spirits up, but her enthusiasm felt forced, her words of encouragement rang slightly hollow. There was no denying how worn down she was. The woman looked to barely be able to keep her eyes open, her skin was a sickly pale color. A fresh scrape on her neck trickled blood, and her armor was covered in a layer of ashen soot. Everything about her was muted, in a way that frightened Samantha to her very core.

To be fair, Samantha would probably be more worried if Jane was her normal self. Seeing Earth like this, London specifically, memories of nights out with her friends during her college days coming to her unbidden, driving over from Oxford, was certainly affecting Samantha. If not for Jane, Samantha would have been more than happy to stay hidden on the Normandy, where she could stay blind to the truth on the ground. Which would have greatly pleased her girlfriend, who even now was sneaking worried, irritated glares Samantha's way. Jane had been entirely against Samantha joining Hammer team on the ground, of course. They screamed and yelled and threatened each other, until finally Jane finally accepted that Samantha was going to London, whether she gave her approval or not.

Samantha was glad she came, despite the oppressive atmosphere trying to change her mind. Waiting back on the Normandy would have been torturous. It didn't make much sense, since Jane was in the same danger and Samantha was just as helpless to change that on the ground, but being there made the communications specialist feel better. She hoped it help Jane as well, or at least inspired her to fight harder. Besides, there was nothing that she could do on the Normandy that she couldn't do down here. If anything, there was a lot more to do.

A sudden urgency came over the soldiers at the forward operating base, a sign that it was time, Hammer would move out soon. Samantha tried to keep working as orders were shouted and soldiers moved about, but eventually she gave up, unable to concentrate. Quietly, she stood and waited until Jane came to see her.

The smile on her girlfriend's face was impossible, and warmed Samantha's entire being. Neither said a word at first, content to study each others' faces, not wanting to admit that it might be the last time they had such a chance. Samantha took in every feature. The small nose. The alluring blue eyes, the color of the clearest water you'd ever find. The short, dark brown hair, kept out of her eyes by a headband. The sharp cheekbones and slim jaw. Even the scars, both the new ones acquired since the war began and the ones from the Lazarus Project. Even those stupid disfigurations Jane wore like badges of pride were forever burned into Samantha's memory.

"Are we just going to stare at each other?" Jane said, smiling. "Because while I can't complain, I kind of have something else to do."

Normally, Samantha liked such jokes before her girlfriend faced a dangerous situation. Right now, though, right now was different. "Jane," she began, staring deep into her girlfriend's eyes. "Not now. Please, not now." Samantha grabbed Jane's left hand, squeezing gently. "I want you to know that I love you. And that I'm holding you to the promise you made. You better come back so we get that big house with the white picket fence, two kids, and golden retriever."

Jane giggled. "So you're allowed to make jokes, but I can't?"

"I told you before, I'm not joking and you better be paying attention."

"Okay." Jane moved in and embraced Samantha. The communications specialist tried her hardest not to cry. They may not be in the CIC anymore, but she would still be mortified if she began crying in front of any group of people. "I'm coming back, Sam. I swear it."

"Don't make promises you can't be sure you can keep," Samantha chided.

Jane pulled back, using her eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, to pour every bit of confidence she could managed into Samantha. Just like that, everything felt okay again. "I'm not. I'm coming back." Their kiss was fire, it was a promise for the future, it was confidence and passion and charisma and everything Samantha loved about Jane Shepard. When it was over, no further words were spoken. None were needed. Then she was walking away, and Samantha found herself staring intently. Once again she was leaving. Samantha wiped a lone tear from her eye.

The Makos began moving out, the soldiers on foot right beside them. Admiral Anderson stood near a bombed out building, waiting for Jane, the most confident of them all. It wasn't hard to see why he was the man Jane respected above anyone else in the galaxy, the one man that could possibly be a mentor for a woman with the ability and magnetism that Jane Shepard had. Anyone else would have probably fallen madly in love with her and never been able to get her respect, which would have made Jane a much different person than she was.

Like Kaidan, Samantha thought jealously as the second human Spectre joined Jane and the Admiral. Kaidan would have been far too weak to ever handle someone like Jane. As usual, despite knowing full well that Jane belonged to Samantha, he was giving her that same longing gaze that he always did, his unhidden admiration in his every movement. Samantha tried her hardest not to be angry with him, but after what Jane told her he did, it was hard. If Jane was with anyone else, and going off to fight a battle that she had little chance from walking away from, Samantha might not have been able to resist confessing her love either. Understanding didn't make it any easier to accept though. Jane was hers, and if Samantha had to fight a damn Spectre to keep her, well then she'd claw and scratch and use every dirty trick in the book to win.

A pat on Samantha's shoulder startled her, and she twisted to see that the hand belonged to Tali'Zorah. The quarian woman, in a very short time, had become one of the few people Samantha considered a true friend. "I'll keep her safe, Sam," Tali said. "From the Reapers and Alenko."

Samantha could swear Tali was grinning. "I'm not worried about Alenko," she said fiercely. Fully turning her gaze away from Jane, which as very hard to do, she gave Tali her full attention. "So, you're going with the Commander?" Tali nodded. "You stay alive, damn it. You stay alive."

The two women embraced, and Samantha felt better about the tears threatening to fall when she heard Tali sniffle. "I'll keep her safe," Tali whispered. "Don't worry about Shepard, we'll keep her safe."

"Keeping Shepard safe isn't as important as beating the Reapers. Beating these stupid robots is the top priority."

Tali stepped back and crossed her arms, her usual silent strength returning. "Keeping Shepard safe is the best way to assure the Reapers are defeated. You should know that by now, Specialist."

"Good point," Samantha said, giggling. The humor between them disappeared quickly, replaced by the uneasy dread from before. "I'll see you when it's over." They shared another hug.

When the ground began to shake, moments after the red shockwave blasted through, Samantha's knees buckled and she was nearly knocked off her feet, convinced she was about to die. She was still at the FOB, holding an assault rifle she had little actual ability to use, while she listened to the nonstop thunder of battle nearby. She and the other non-combat personnel were stuffed into a bunker, with nothing to do but listen and wait. They heard the shouts from the soldiers fighting, the mechanical groans and screeches of the Reaper ground forces, the intimidating roar of the Reapers themselves. Samantha thought of nothing but Jane, and what she might be going through at that exact moment.

Samantha had just begun to right herself when the ground shook again, finally knocking her, and a few others, off their feet. It became evident that something was falling to the ground outside. Eventually, she could hear mechanical groans, followed shortly by the sound of something incredibly heavy falling, whatever was causing the shaking. A nearby building was impacted, and Samantha heard the stone crumble. She, and everyone else near her, gripped their weapons tightly, ready to go out fighting if that's what they had to do. Somehow, all of them kept composed.

Then, the shaking stopped. Samantha remained braced against a wall, ready for the tremors to continue, but they never did. Many moments passed before she realized how quiet it had become. There wasn't a sound to be heard, anywhere. They all began to whisper amongst each other, wondering what was happening. Someone came running to the door and Samantha was one of many to aim her gun that way. The door burst open, to reveal an Alliance marine. "They're dead! The fuckers are dead!"

Samantha was the one to step forward. "Who? What happened?"

"The Reapers! That shockwave came through and they all started falling over!"

That's what caused the ground to shake. Samantha grinned stupidly, not caring because of her relief. "They're all dead?"

The marine nodded, and waved for everyone to follow him. Tentatively, they stepped out of the office, followed up a set of stairs to the surface, and looked out on the world around them. Cheers echoed through the streets, from near and far. Every minute or two, gunfire would ring out. Samantha asked if they were shooting at the husks left over, and the marine said the husks all disintegrated. Before she asked what they were shooting at then, she saw for herself as they turned a corner onto a large street and saw a squad of turians shooting at the fallen mass of a Reaper destroyer. Samantha resisted the urge to tell them that was pointless, even if the Reaper wasn't actually dead.

Another squad joined up with the marine leading them, and together they all walked to another temporary base, a mile and a half away. Once there, Samantha immediately realized that she didn't recognize a single person there. Shepard, Tali, Kaidan, Admiral Anderson, no one from the Normandy, none of them were at the base. Only after ten minutes of wandering through the jubilant masses did she find someone she recognized. "Ms. Lawson!"

Miranda Lawson stopped shouting at the person in front of her. The regret and anger in her eyes immediately put a scare into Samantha. "Specialist," she greeted. A quick, lethal glare got rid of the person she was yelling at. "Glad to see you're okay."

"Please," Samantha interrupted. "Please, no small talk. I just want to know where the Commander is."

"We don't know," she answered immediately.

The brutal honesty in Miranda's answer shocked Samantha, and made her feel worse than if she had been told the same thing, but in a drawn out way. "What do you mean you don't know? What happened?"

Miranda led Samantha over to a table, where the two women took a seat. "We're not sure. Hammer was decimated when they tried to storm the beam. We didn't think anyone made it, but apparently Shepard did. I'm guessing it was her that set off the red shockwave that took the Reapers out."

"Of course it was."

"Yeah, of course it was. The shockwave originated from the Citadel, and then a beam shot from the Presidium towards the Charon Relay. Afterwards, the entire damn station began falling to pieces. If she was onboard…"

Miranda didn't finish. She didn't have to. "What about the Normandy?"

"I don't know. We lost contact."

The two women were quiet, the only ones not celebrating. "She's still alive," Samantha said, furiously wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. She would not cry. Crying was an admission that there was something to be sad about.

"It's possible," Miranda said. "If…"

"She's alive," Samantha repeated. "When can we start searching?"


End file.
